Written Answers Thursday 9 February 2006

Scottish Executive

Biodiversity

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the last biodiversity audit was conducted on the state forest and what action Forestry Commission Scotland is taking to address the needs of priority species found on the estate as identified in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

Rhona Brankin: The biodiversity work undertaken on Scotland’s national forest estate has recently been subjected to three types of audit procedure. The first is the annual external audit undertaken to satisfy the requirements of the United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard. The other two were Forestry Commission Scotland’s internal audits of their Forest Design Planning process; which is an annual rolling programme, and a Forest Operations Environment audit in 2003.

  In addition, Forestry Commission Scotland set up an external biodiversity peer review group in 2005. This group was formed to consider Forestry Commission Scotland’s delivery of the Scottish Forestry Strategy’s environmental agenda on the national forest estate; to examine the effectiveness of past and current action and to make recommendations on what additional or more ambitious steps Forestry Commission Scotland should be taking.

  The review group’s recently completed final report is currently being carefully considered by Forestry Commission Scotland and a response to the 74 recommendations is expected by the summer. Addressing the needs of priority species found on the national forest estate, as identified in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, forms part of the overall consideration being given to the peer review group’s report.

Bridges

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a progress report on the new bridge crossing the Forth at Kincardine and, in particular, when work on the bridge will commence.

Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland expects to award the contract to design and build this bridge later this month. Construction will then start in the summer.

Crime

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the recent figures on police assault, as reported in The Scotsman on 26 January 2006.

Cathy Jamieson: We are aware of these reports. Attacks on the police and other emergency workers, who we all depend on for the vital services they provide, are abhorrent and I am sure that the Parliament joins with me in condemning them. The Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 came into force last May and makes it clear that the Executive will take action to ensure such behaviour is punished appropriately.

DNA Samples

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many DNA profiles obtained from DNA samples collected by the police in Scotland have been exported to the National DNA Database in England in each year since 1995.

Cathy Jamieson: Full statistics are only available for the last seven years and are as follows:

  

Year
Number of Profiles


1999
26,487


2000
21,728


2001
18,681


2002
38,930


2003
39,047


2004
42,645


2005
49,641



  Totals shown are for the years commencing 1 January to 31 December.

  The Scottish DNA Database exports copies of all DNA profiles it holds to the National DNA Database but does not export the DNA samples. A DNA sample is the sample that contains the individual’s full DNA which is taken from the individual by means such as a mouth swab. A DNA profile is the numerical sequence derived from a DNA sample by a process which destroys the original sample. It is based on a number of markers from the short-tandem repeat areas of DNA which do not contain genetically significant information but vary markedly between different people, which is why DNA profiles are effective at distinguishing between different people.

DNA Samples

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many DNA profiles obtained from DNA samples collected by the police in Scotland and exported to the National DNA Database in England in each year since 1995 have been subsequently removed.

Cathy Jamieson: Full statistics are only available for the last seven years and are as follows:

  

Year
Number of Profiles


1999
5,420


2000
9,185


2001
7,058


2002
20,269


2003
18,075


2004
21,173


2005
29,334



  Totals shown are for the years commencing 1 January to 31 December.

  The Scottish DNA Database exports copies of all DNA profiles it holds to the National DNA Database but does not export the DNA samples. A DNA sample is the sample that contains the individual’s full DNA which is taken from the individual by means such as a mouth swab. A DNA profile is the numerical sequence derived from a DNA sample by a process which destroys the original sample. It is based on a number of markers from the short-tandem repeat (STR) areas of DNA which do not contain genetically significant information but vary markedly between different people, which is why DNA profiles are effective at distinguishing between different people.

DNA Samples

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many DNA profiles obtained from DNA samples taken from juveniles and collected by the police in Scotland have been exported to the National DNA Database in England in each year since 1995.

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many DNA profiles obtained from DNA samples taken from juveniles and collected by the police in Scotland and exported to the National DNA Database in England in each year since 1995 have been subsequently removed.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held.

  All DNA profiles taken from persons who are arrested or detained in Scotland are removed from both the Scottish DNA Database and the National DNA Database unless the case for which they were taken result in a court conviction. As well as the DNA profiles, any information relating to the person, such as their age, is also removed from database records. It is therefore not possible to identify the age of the persons concerned. The majority of cases involving juveniles do not result in court proceedings.

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the up-to-date position is in respect of devolved school management.

Peter Peacock: I refer the member to my answer to question S2O-9003 on 9 February 2005, we have issued revised guidance to local authorities on devolved school management. Everything that can reasonably be devolved to head teachers should be, and certainly up to 90% of relevant budgets, in line with our Partnership Agreement Commitment.

European Convention on Human Rights

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance its Justice Department issues to public bodies, including local authorities, in respect of their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has published a booklet giving public authorities guidance on their human rights obligations, and has supplied public authorities with guidance published by the UK Government. We have also provided funding for Human Rights Scotland, formerly the Scottish Human Rights Trust, whose work includes providing human rights training for local and other public authorities.

  The provision of guidance to public authorities will be a key role for the new independent Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights, to be created by legislation presently under consideration by the Parliament.

Fisheries

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reason is for a delay in advising west coast fishermen of their revised prawn catch allocation.

Ross Finnie: In the wake of significant uplift in the quotas for North Sea and West Coast nephrops, the Executive, in discussion with other UK fisheries administrations, is considering whether there is a case to look at a methodology other than the normal fixed quota allocation basis for distribution of the increased quotas. There are a number of complex issues arising which require detailed consideration. We appreciate the need for an early decision and an announcement will be made shortly.

Fisheries

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an on-going review of apportionment of quota between the sector and non-sector parts of the prawn fishing fleet and, if so, what the reason is for such a review.

Ross Finnie: In the wake of significant uplift in the quotas for North sea and West Coast nephrops, the Executive, in discussion with other UK fisheries administrations, is considering whether there is a case to look at a methodology other than the normal fixed quota allocation basis for distribution of the increased quotas. A decision will be made shortly, but any change would be the subject of full consultation and is unlikely to affect the interests of different sectors significantly.

Flood Prevention

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £89 million budget in 2005-08 for flood prevention and coastal protection has been allocated and to what projects.

Rhona Brankin: To date, the Executive has committed £14 million to Edinburgh City Council for the Braid Burn flood prevention scheme and £1.066 million to Perth and Kinross Council for schemes at Weem, Milnathort and Earnbank. We are aware of other schemes under preparation that are likely to begin construction during the next two years.

Forestry

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cubic metres of (a) soft wood and (b) hardwood timber it estimates will be economically recoverable from Scottish forests in each of the next 30 years.

Rhona Brankin: The tables provide the information requested.

  National Forest Estate

  Average Annual Volumes (Thousands of Cubic Metres, Overbark, Standing)

  

Period 
Softwood
Hardwood
Total


2006
3,678
3
3,681


2007-11
3,233
3
3,236


2012-16
3,769
6
3,775


2017-21
4,103
3
4,106


2022-26
3,698
3
3,701


2027-36
3,147
5
3,152



  Notes:

  1. The figures up to 2021 are derived from the recently compiled Scotland 2005 Production Forecast, which is to be published later this year, and they assume that the size of the national forest estate will remain static and that the forest design planning system remains unchanged.

  2. The information is provided in quinquennial tranches (apart from 2006 and the final period from 2027-36). The figures are average annual volumes, which include clearfell and thinning.

  3. The 2027-36 figures are derived from an extrapolation of the current Forestry Commission Scotland forest design plan programme. The figures and the softwood/hardwood split must be treated as highly indicative because the detail is subject to refinement.

  4. The broadleaf volume includes productive broadleaves only i.e. the volume will come from areas where timber production is amongst the main forest management objectives.

  Private Woodlands

  Average Annual Volumes (Thousands of Cubic Metres, Overbark, Standing)

  

Period
Softwood
Hardwood
Total


2006
3,415
101
3,506


2007-11
4,443
99
4,542


2012-16
5,351
84
5,435


2017-21
5,713
87
5,800


2022-26
6,108
94
6,202


2027-31
6,164
97
6,261


2032-36
5,650
112
5,762



  Notes:

  1. The private woodland figures are not forecasts of volumes that will be offered to the market – they are forecasts of the optimum volume that could be produced from the resource. The amount that is offered to the market will depend on economic conditions and other constraints. Conditions have been less than optimal in recent years and production has been below the level suggested by the availability forecast.

  2. References:

  Softwood 2000 Forecast – Forestry and British Timber, April 2001.

  2002 National Inventory of Woodland and Trees – Scotland (table 10c).

Forestry

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) soft wood and (b) hardwood trees have been, or will be, planted by (i) Forest Enterprise and (ii) private forestry estates in each year from 2000 to 2030.

Rhona Brankin: The tables provide the information requested plus the area in hectares. The information is provided in quinquennial tranches (apart from 2000-06 and 2027-30) and the figures are average annual planting statistics.

  The figures cover new planting and restocking, and the basis for the calculation of the number of trees is the target stocking density. For conifers this is currently 2,700 plants per hectare and 1,700 plants per hectare for broadleaves.

  Forest Enterprise

  

Period
Conifers
Broadleaves


Hectares
Number of Trees
Hectares
Number of Trees


2000-06
4,600
12,420,000
500
850,000


2007-11
4,700
12,690,000
600
1,020,000


2012-16
5,600
15,120,000
600
1,020,000


2017-21
6,200
16,740,000
700
1,190,000


2022-26
5,500
14,850,000
600
1,020,000


2027-30
4,500
12,150,000
1,100
1,870,000



  Private Sector

  

Period
Conifers
Broadleaves


Hectares
Number of Trees
Hectares
Number of Trees


2000-06
5,400
14,580,000
5,500
9,350,000


2007-11
7,000
18,900,000
7,000
12,750,000


2012-16
7,000
18,900,000
7,000
11,900,000


2017-21
7,000
18,900,000
7,000
11,900,000


2022-26
7,000
18,900,000
7,000
11,900,000


2027-30
7,000
18,900,000
7,000
11,900,000

Forestry

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to deliver its commitment to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development to increase the area of forestry certified to the UK Woodland Assurance Standard.

Rhona Brankin: Under the current Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme, support is provided to woodland owners and managers to carry out survey, planning and monitoring work on, for example, landscape design, low-impact silviculture, recreational management and archaeology. In addition, plan preparation grants are available for owners wishing to produce long-term forest plans. These measures assist owners who wish to gain UK Woodland Assurance Standard certification.

  A replacement to the Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme, which is linked to the 2007-11 rural development regulation and land management contracts, is currently being devised. It is anticipated that under this new scheme there will be more emphasis on the need for owners to produce a forest plan, and again, this will assist owners who wish to gain certification. The Forestry Commission has also funded studies to help determine ways of making certification more accessible to small woodlands and woodlands with low intensity management.

Information Technology

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the operation of its Home Computer Initiative Framework Contract and whether it will provide a list of computer suppliers under the contract that failed to deliver equipment before the agreed date of 25 December 2005.

George Lyon: The Scottish Executive is encouraged that over 40 public authorities have participated in the framework which is helping achieve the overall aim of increasing home computer ownership in Scotland.

  The three framework suppliers compete on price for preferred supplier status on a four-monthly basis. BT won the first e-auction and as such were the main supplier in the pre-Christmas period. BT have told us that it was due to the unexpected high demand, along with supplier and courier problems, that they were unable to meet some pre-Christmas deliveries.

Justice

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the (a) 110-day rule and (b) 140-day rule have been extended in each year since 1999, broken down by sheriff court area.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested as it applies to sheriff court cases is not held centrally.

  High Court figures cannot be broken down by sheriff court area.

  The number of High Court custody time bar extensions per year was not routinely collected until the introduction of an electronic case management system in April 2004. No data are held centrally for 1999 and 2000. The total number of custody time bar extensions from 2001-03 is not known, but research undertaken during Lord Bonomy’s review established that during 2001 in 32 of a sample of 141 custody indictments the 110-day period was extended at least once. An interim report of the evaluation of the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2004 showed that between the start of January 2002 and the end of April 2004 there were 369 custody indictments in which the 110-day period was extended at least once, resulting in at least 709 extensions over the 28 month period. For the period from April 2004 to end March 2005, there have been 274 extensions granted by the High Court in respect of the 110-day time limit, relating to 144 custody indictments.

  For extensions to the 140-day time limit in High Court cases in the period since the enactment of the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2004, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22255 on 25 January 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Marches

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address disorder in or around marches and parades.

Cathy Jamieson: It is unacceptable that certain individuals latch on to marches purely as an excuse to indulge in bigoted and abusive behaviour. Following the publication of the Action Plan on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland we now intend to look at the powers currently available to the police to deal with inappropriate behaviour around marches and parades.

People with Learning Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in 2004-05 on education for young people with learning disabilities.

Robert Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20528 on 21 November 2005 which gives a breakdown of funding allocated for additional support needs. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  In addition, funding allocated through GAE for provision for special educational needs in 2004-05 was £256 million. Funding allocated specifically for the education of young people with learning disabilities is not held centrally. It is for local authorities to allocate funding based on the needs of the young people in their area.

People with Learning Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available for young people with learning disabilities (a) entering and (b) during employment.

Allan Wilson: Careers Scotland provides a range of employability services, including key worker support, which help young people to access and sustain employment. The enterprise networks deliver Get Ready for Work , a programme for 16/17 year olds who, with additional support, would be able to move into further education training or employment. The UK Government also provides support through a range of programmes, including New Deal for Disabled People where job brokers can offer in-work support for up to the first six months.

Renewable Energy

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish planning advice in respect of micro-renewable energy technologies.

Johann Lamont: An Annex to Planning Advice Note 45: Renewable Energy Technologies covering micro-renewables will be published in the spring.

Rural Development

Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the review of the Rural Challenge Fund.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive has no plans at present to extend or replace the Rural Challenge Fund. We are considering the outcome of the review process and the fit of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund in the context of our wider rural policy and range of support mechanisms. An announcement about future arrangements will be made in due course.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20698 by Cathy Jamieson on 28 November 2005, whether all the senior managers from the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) are qualified fingerprint experts; how many are involved in providing advice to the Executive; what positions each official holds; whether any of these officials have been involved in any cases where the fingerprint evidence provided by the SCRO has been disputed, and, if so, what positions these particular individuals hold.

Cathy Jamieson: The director, deputy director and business support manager provide advice to the Scottish Executive in respect of parliamentary questions about SCRO’s work. Where appropriate they first consult experts in the relevant business area, including fingerprints. None of these three are qualified fingerprint experts and none of them has been involved in any cases of disputed fingerprint evidence.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is of SEPA View , the magazine of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency; whether it considers that the magazine is necessary, and how many statements or articles it has carried in any of its 28 issues from MSPs outwith the Scottish Executive parties.

Rhona Brankin: I believe that SEPA View provides a useful means for SEPA to communicate with its stakeholders, schools, NGOs, other interested parties and the general public about the agency’s activities and wider environmental issues. It is, however, for the agency to decide whether the publication represents value for money. Information on the content and cost of SEPA View are operational matters for SEPA itself. I have asked Dr Campbell Gemmell, Chief Executive of SEPA, to respond to these issues direct.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland 2003-04 whether it can confirm that expenditure in England on the operation of the prison system, the Court Service Agency, judicial salaries for England, the Valuation Office Agency, and non-domestic rate collection for England fall within the non-identifiable category of expenditure in GERS, while expenditure on the corresponding functions in Scotland fall within the identifiable category.

Mr Tom McCabe: I can confirm this is the case.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland 2003-04, what its estimate is of the aggregate of expenditure in 2003-04 in the non-identifiable category on functions in England, or England and Wales, where expenditure on the corresponding functions in Scotland is identifiable.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland 2003-04 (GERS), why a proportion of the expenditure in the non-identifiable category on functions in England, or England and Wales, where expenditure on the corresponding functions in Scotland is identifiable, was allocated to Scotland when calculating the estimates of Scottish expenditure referred to GERS.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland 2003-04 (GERS), what proportion of the expenditure in the non-identifiable category on functions in England, or England and Wales, where expenditure on the corresponding functions in Scotland is identifiable, was allocated to Scotland when calculating the estimates of Scottish expenditure referred to in GERS.

Mr Tom McCabe: As made clear in Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2003-04 (p.18), some programmes included in UK non-identifiable expenditure benefit England (or England and Wales) only but could not be allocated to any English region in particular. HM Treasury is planning to consult with UK departments and the devolved administrations to provide further, more disaggregated, data.

Sex Offenders

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that there are effective reforms in respect of monitoring sex offenders.

Cathy Jamieson: A wide ranging package of improvements are underway to step up the way sex offenders are monitored.

  These include strengthening registration requirements; setting up new public protection arrangements for assessing and managing the risk posed by sex offenders between the police, the Scottish Prison Service and local authorities; ending the unconditional release of sex offenders sentenced to six months or more in prison, and reviewing the relationship between the sex offender register and the Disqualified from Working with Children List.

Social Work

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its full report on the 21st Century Social Work Review and its response to the review.

Peter Peacock: The review’s report Changing Lives- Report of the 21st Century Social Work Review (Bib. number 38763), Changing Lives- Summary Report of the 21st Century Social Work Review’ (Bib. number 38764) and Changing Lives- Scottish Executive Response to the 21st Century Social Work Review (Bib. number 38765) will be published on Tuesday 7 February 2006. A detailed implementation plan will be published later in the year. Copies of all three are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

  The report provides a historic opportunity to modernise social work practice and gives focus for the work of social workers to do the things that they are best equipped and trained to do. Social work services must be designed and delivered around the needs of people who use them, their carers and communities. The Executive intends to take a series of actions to move forward issues highlighted in the report. These will be detailed in the forthcoming implementation plan.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is improving sporting achievement.

Patricia Ferguson: The Executive through  sportscotland provides financial and other support to athletes and governing bodies of sport as part of our commitment to achieving target 7 of Sport 21, which aims to have over 250 Scots as medallists on the world stage by 2007.

Waste Management

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste was sent to landfill in the second quarter of 2005-06.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) quarterly returns on waste data can be found at SEPA’s website at http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/returns.htm .

  In the quarter from July to September 2005, the SEPA data shows that 405,558 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste were landfilled.

  This is a decrease when compared with the quarter for April to June 2005, when the SEPA data shows that 422,302 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste were landfilled. It is also a decrease when compared with the equivalent quarter in the previous year: the SEPA data shows that 444,344 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste were landfilled in the quarter from July to September 2004.